* The DuPage County Republicans posted this inducement to early vote earlier today…
Click here for a full resolution screenshot of the post.
* But there might be an oh-so-slight problem with the Illinois Election Code…
Any person who knowingly gives, lends or promises to give or lend any money or other valuable consideration to any other person to influence such other person to vote or to register to vote … shall be guilty of a Class 4 felony.
Might’ve been a good idea to call the lawyers first. This is pretty basic stuff.
…Adding… The Facebook post has been deleted.
…Adding… Illinois State Board of Elections spokesperson Matt Dietrich…
Because this involves a criminal allegation under 29-1 of the Election Code, it would be up to the DuPage County state’s attorney to determine whether the “appreciation discount and thank you gift” or other parts of the offer constitute a prohibited “valuable consideration.”
Technically, someone could file a complaint with us about this, but since we don’t have jurisdiction, the most they would get would be a recommendation from our board to take it to the state’s attorney.
- Steve - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 12:49 pm:
These really aren’t very bright people. So, there’s that.
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 12:50 pm:
=Might’ve been a good idea to call the lawyers first. This is pretty basic stuff.=
The GOP does not seem tocare about the law anymore.
- CC Jay - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 12:54 pm:
Serious question…is there a requirement to vote in order to get all of the “goodies”? Or can one show up, hop on the van, refuse to get off to vote, and still collect the food, drink, and appreciation gift?
If they’re not *forcing* you to vote, I think they’ve wandered into a grey, yet technically legal, area.
- oh my - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 12:54 pm:
Embarrassing for sure, but come on, we all want to know what the “thank you gift” would be.
- I wonder - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 12:57 pm:
I wonder how the DuPage County States Attorney will respond to this.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 12:58 pm:
===If they’re not *forcing* you to vote===
That is nowhere in the statute.
It’s about inducements. And it’s illegal and has been so forever.
- Think Again - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 12:59 pm:
=Any person who knowingly gives, lends or promises to give or lend any money or other valuable consideration to any other person to influence such other person to vote or to register to vote=
They are offering free rides to the early polling sites - they don’t say anything about requiring riders to actually vote or register.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:02 pm:
===they don’t say anything about requiring riders===
Again, the word requirement is not in the statute books.
Everybody who has ever been in a campaign knows you can’t offer gifts after a ride to the polls.
- CC Jay - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:05 pm:
===They are offering free rides to the early polling sites - they don’t say anything about requiring riders to actually vote or register.===
Exactly, this has been going on in Suburban Cook County since Early Voting began. Every committeeman, elected, and candidate has been chartering busses and vans and offering this as a veiled “convenience” while simultaneously offering breakfast/lunch, etc…before or after the “free” ride.
- Pundent - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:13 pm:
=Or can one show up, hop on the van, refuse to get off to vote, and still collect the food, drink, and appreciation gift?=
So stay on the van and continue to listen to the candidate that joined the ride along? What fun.
- DuPage Saint - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:18 pm:
It has Law in the name ot must be legal/S
And please give them a break they are going down in an epic route they should be given a handicap
- Norseman - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:18 pm:
Down south, giving folks a bottle of water while waiting in line is a crime. Food, drink, ride and gift and tying this all into a store selling guns seems more problematic to me.
- localgovhero - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:19 pm:
Lots of thoughts here.
(1) The operative verb here is “to influence such other person to vote.” I am not being paid so I will not look up the case law for what influence here means. But, a van ride to a polling place probably does not influence people to vote. The thank you gift and discount, that may be another story. Especially with candidates being in the van.
(2) Overall, we do not want rides to the polls to be deemed illegal generally. Voter accessibility it a progressive virtue. Not going to ding the DuPage Republicans for the ride. Will ding everything else though.
(3)Folks who comment on capitolfax opining on legal theories ought to be required to produce their bar card.
- Dance Band on the Titanic - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:25 pm:
I’m curious as to which candidates have signed up to ride along and take questions?
- old man poodle owner - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:29 pm:
So its ok for the Champaign County clerk to give those who are standing in campus voting lines, pizza and water, but its not ok to offer rides. All while wearing his Aaron Ammons County Clerk shirt.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:36 pm:
- So its ok for the Champaign County clerk to give those who are standing in campus voting lines, pizza and water, but its not ok to offer rides. -
Said no one. Try comprehending the words you read.
- Leslie K - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:38 pm:
==Folks who comment on capitolfax opining on legal theories ought to be required to produce their bar card.==
Although I do have such a card, I hardly think it is required to offer a thoughtful perspective on legal issues. Just don’t give legal advice or practice law without it. And no one is doing that here.
Also, although [disclaimer] I do not practice election law, I don’t think anyone is claiming the rides alone are the problem?
- DuPage Moderate - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:41 pm:
Another reason why the DuPage GOP is one of the most over-their skis, inept, group of people walking the planet.
- Highland, IL - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:47 pm:
Their attorney is Tom Devore. /s
- Frequent Commenter - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:50 pm:
Understand that there might be a violation of the law, but by who? And when? DuPage Republicans are promoting an event being held by a private business occurring in the future. If they take it down, the private business cancels, does that equal no harm, no foul?
- H-W - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 1:52 pm:
I cannot believe people are here trying to justify this practice. Come on people. This is a no brainer, if you have a brain. The practice is illegal. It literally says so under, “What the riders get.” Geez
- JS Mill - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:06 pm:
= does that equal no harm, no foul?=
What does that garble even mean. Breaking the law is breaking the law.
- Archpundit - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:10 pm:
===So its ok for the Champaign County clerk to give those who are standing in campus voting lines, pizza and water, but its not ok to offer rides.
Rides are okay. It’s the offering things of value to vote such as the discount or food. If you gave them a ride, offering something of value on top of that is a problem. The clerk is, in the generic description, not influencing people to vote as they are already in line to vote and presumably didn’t offer a ride.
- Socially DIstant Watcher - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:12 pm:
Looks like the Facebook post is gone. They may not read the law, but they sure do read CapFax
- Alton Sinkhole - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:13 pm:
Image is clearly AI slop too
- Northsider - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:20 pm:
H-W @ 1:52 for the win.
- TNR - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:24 pm:
Sometimes private businesses make honest mistakes with this. I knew of a sandwich shop across from an early voting site that offered a discount to anyone who came in with an “I Voted” sticker. But there’s no excuse for a county party not knowing the law.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:30 pm:
===They may not read the law, but they sure do read CapFax ===
lol
Will be interesting to see if the dead-enders who defended this ploy come back and apologize.
- JR - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:33 pm:
Clearly the Republican Party needs a better graphic designer and lawyer.
- iheartsza - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:39 pm:
Stupid AI flyer for a stupid (and illegal) event for an ill-fated GOP turnout. What fun.
- Blazzzer - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:40 pm:
Wonder what the AI prompt for this was? I can only imagine the first iteration of the design
- low level - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:50 pm:
Oops…. Is Bob Fioretti advising them? Or DeVore?
Its sad to see how far the once vaunted DuPage GOP has fallen. Seriously.
- Excitable Boy - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 2:51 pm:
- it would be up to the DuPage County state’s attorney -
I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for Bob to do anything.
- Save Ferris - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 3:05 pm:
“I’m curious as to which candidates have signed up to ride along”
They’ve got Darren Bailey along for the ride. What Bailey doesn’t know is that ILGOP is going to drive him to the Indiana border and kick him over to the other side.
- Not Your Gramma - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 3:12 pm:
Kevin Coyne, DuPage GOP Chair - is a lawyer. Seems like maybe not a very astute one.
- Mike Sorensen - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 3:40 pm:
Just because there seems to be some confusion among the comments being posted here, this is how I understand it:
Not one single person has to get picked up. No discounts have to be redeemed, no door-prizes, no anything has to be done even accept this offer…
It’s MAKING the offer in the first place that violates the law, regardless of whether anyone takes the up on it. And, potentially, even though they’ve taken it down, since the offer was still made.
I imagine there won’t be any follow-up if it falls on the elected state’s attorney of the same party, however. That’s cynical of me, but….maybe not so cynical.
- Rich Miller - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 3:49 pm:
===It’s MAKING the offer in the first place that violates the law===
Correct.
- Proud Papa Bear - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 4:21 pm:
Is blocking your side view mirror with a flag street legal?
- Huh? - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 10:16 pm:
“The GOP does not seem to care about the law anymore.”
Wait. What? I thought the gop was all for law and order.
- Lightning - Wednesday, Sep 2, 26 @ 11:20 pm:
Why not cash or whiskey or the understanding that you might not get a letter of recommendation for a job at Commonwealth Edison?